ALMOST a year after a 16-year-old heroin addict was allegedly murdered at a rehabilitation centre at Noupoort, one of its employees was arrested for apparently assaulting two patients, Northern Cape police said on Tuesday.
The feet of two patients, Jacques Roux (27) and Joe van Vuuren (24) were allegedly tied with handcuffs to an old train coach near the Noupoort Christian Care Centre from 4pm on Sunday until 9am on Monday, police representative Inspector Chantel Manuel said.
”The suspect, believed to be one of the caretakers at the centre, allegedly frequently dropped several buckets of water on them while they were tied to the coach.”
He went to bed at 4.30am on Monday and returned at 9am, when he allegedly shocked the two men, using a radio fitted onto the coach.
”…Roux lost consciousness and fell off the coach while he was bleeding where the handcuffs were tied around his ankles. They were allegedly released later and allowed to take a shower before they were again tied up with handcuffs and ordered to dig a hole in the ground.”
A 52-year-old man was expected to appear in the Noupoort Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of assault with the attempt to do grievous bodily harm, Manuel said.
In May last year, Pretoria teenager Logan Klingenberg died at the centre’s detention barracks.
He was apparently tied to a disciplinary cell with a chain around his neck.
Two instructors at the detention barracks were arrested on murder charges at the time. – Sapa